WHILE Round 2 of the Davis Cup Finals began overnight, we recap how the first round of action went down across the past two days with each group completing one match. There were some interesting results including Russia’s clean sweep of reigning champions, Croatia, as well as a rank outsider taking down a top 12 player.

GROUP A:

FRANCE 2 defeated JAPAN 1

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) defeated Yasutaka Uchiyama (JPN) 6-2 6-1
Yoshito Nishioka (JPN) defeated Gael Monfils (FRA) 7-6 6-2
P. Herbert/N. Mahut (FRA) defeated B. McLachlan/Y. Uchiyama (JPN) 6-7 6-4 7-5

Heading into the match as heavy favourites, France was tipped to easily clean sweep the lowly ranked Japanese, with two top 30 players for the singles and a highly fancied doubles combination. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga skipped past the 81st ranked Yasutaka Uchiyama, but then Yoshito Nishioka shocked world number 10, Gael Monfils in the first time the two had duelled. Getting up in a tight tiebreaker, Nishioka then poured on the pressure to run out a much easier 6-2 second set and a straight sets win. Remarkably, the French camp would have been really sweating after Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut went a set down against Uchiyama and specialist doubles player Ben McLachlan. They won in a tiebreak to lead the overall rubber, before the French managed to work their way back into it and win 6-4 7-5 to take home a narrow 2-1 overall tie victory.

GROUP B:

RUSSIA 3 defeated CROATIA 0

Andrey Rublev (RUS) defeated Bora Gojo 6-3 6-3
Karen Khachanov (RUS) defeated Bora Coric 6-7 6-4 6-4
A. Rublev/K. Khachanov (RUS) defeated N. Mektic/I. Dodig 7-6 6-4

In the biggest upset of the first round, Russia stunned Croatia in a clean sweep, 3-0 to put itself in a strong position for a quarter finals spot. Without top ranked Marin Cilic, the Croatians were not as strong, but the much improved Andrey Rublev showed why he is a rising star as the 23rd ranked 22-year-old took down Bora Gojo 6-3 6-3. Then the world number 17 in Karen Khachanov defeated Borna Coric – a player he has failed to knock off in two previous attempts – 6-7 6-4 6-4 to come back from a set down to escape in a thriller. With the tie wrapped up, Rublev and Khachanov showed no signs of tiring adding a straight sets win against the Croatian pairing of Nikola Mektic and Ivan Dodig. It all but rules the reigning champions out of a quarter finals berth given they have home side Spain in their final game.

GROUP C:

ARGENTINA 3 defeated CHILE 0

Guido Pella (ARG) defeated Nicolas Jarry (CHI) 6-4 6-3
Diego Schwartzman (ARG) defeated Cristian Garin (CHI) 6-2 6-2
M. Gonzalez/L. Mayer (ARG) defeated N. Jarry/H. Podlipnik-Castillo 6-3 7-5

In a less surprising result, Argentina easily cruised past Chile 3-0 to put itself in a strong position for the knockout games. Not dropping a set during any of the matches, Guido Pella and Diego Schwartzman both toppled their respective opponents Nicolas Jarry and Cristian Garin, before Maximo Gonzalez and Leonardo Mayer made it a clean streak with a 6-3 7-5 victory in the doubles. It will be hard for Chile to make the final eight from here, though no-one is expecting them to be title contenders. Argentina on the other hand is ultra-consistent and could trouble most sides.

GROUP D:

BELGIUM 2 defeated COLOMBIA 1

Steve Darcis (BEL) defeated Santiago Giraldo (COL) 6-3 6-2
David Goffin (BEL) defeated Daniel Elahi Galan (COL) 3-6 6-3 6-3
J. Cabal/R. Farah (COL) defeated S. Gille/J. Vliegan (BEL) defeated 6-7 6-4 7-6

As was predicted with Colombia, the lowly ranked nation took out the doubles thanks to world number one combination Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah – though not without a struggle – but the overall tie was done and dusted by that stage. Cabal and Farah dropped the first set in a tiebreaker but bounced back to win the next two 6-4 7-6, though the dead rubber meant there was not as much on the line. Earlier in the day, Steve Darcis made light work of the ageing Santiago Giraldo, while David Goffin had some nervous moments early, dropping the first set 3-6 to Daniel Galan, before overpowering the Colombian 6-3 6-3 in the next two games to take out the match.

GROUP E:

KAZAKHSTAN 2 defeated NETHERLANDS 1

Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) defeated Botic Van De Zandschulp 6-2 6-2
Robin Haase (NED) defeated Alexander Bublik (KAZ) 7-5 3-6 7-6
A. Bublik/M. Kukushkin (KAZ) defeated R. Haase/J. Rojer 6-4 7-6

Kazakhstan’s duo of Mikhail Kukushkin and Alexander Bublik stood tall in the doubles to deny Netherlands a victory and take out a crucial group match before playing the highest seed in the group, Great Britain. Kukushkin started the day off right with an easy 6-2 6-2 win over Botic Van De Zandsculp, but the Dutch top ranked Robin Haase won his singles over the 57th ranked Bublik to level the tie at 1-1. The Kazakhstan’s doubles combination managed to get the win however, taking it down to the wire in a narrow victory, 6-4 7-6.

GROUP F:

CANADA 2 defeated ITALY 1

Vasek Pospisil (CAN) defeated F. Fognini (ITA) 7-6 7-5
Denis Shapovalov (CAN) defeated M. Berrettini (ITA) 7-6 6-7 7-6
M. Berrettini/F. Fognini (ITA) defeated V. Pospisil/D. Shapovalov (CAN) 6-2 3-6 6-3

With Canada’s fast serving former top 10 player Milos Raonic out with a back injury against a full strength Italy, there were few who would have predicted the Canadians could get the job done. But the full confidence in the 150th ranked Vasek Pospisil paid off. The Canadian stunned the crowd by taking down 12th ranked Italian, Fabio Fognini in straight sets, 7-6 7-5, then Denis Shapovalov won against eight ranked Marco Berrettini in three tiebreakers to win the tie for Canada. Berrettini was coming off the ATP Finals series and despite Italy’s depth, was still thrown into the mix, but the fresher 15th ranked Canadian got the job done. Berrettini and Fognini gained a vital rubber back in the doubles despite conceding a second set, but made it a 2-1 loss to keep them in contention of making a quarter final as a runner-up.